COVE claimed a third league title in six years last night after snatching glory from Formartine’s fingertips.

The Aberdeen side, hammered 6-1 in the Aberdeenshire Shield Final just four days earlier, lifted the silverware thanks to Jamie Beagrie and Ryan Stott goals.

For Formartine, seeking their first championship crown since rising from the junior ranks four years ago, it was a gut-wrenching end to their campaign.

In monsoon conditions at North Lodge Park, Cove served up a masterclass in passing and controlled football to add to back-to-back titles in 2008 and 2009.

Toasting his first as Rangers boss in the same week as being blown away by Turriff United, Kevin Tindal said: “The past few weeks it has been between the two of us, but we knew Formartine had a tough run-in and we had a chance.

“We’ve prepared properly for this, resting players desperate to play in Tuesday’s final. And we’ve been proved right.

“I’m so overjoyed because today showed what we’ve done all season, instilling into the players the desire to get on to the ball and play the game. It has been a great team effort throughout the season – a big learning curve for the young lads. But we’re all behind each other from the dugout to the playing staff and off the park.”

Rangers, who first trailed Wick then United for much of the campaign, arrived in Pitmedden having lost only four times on the road all season.

That impressive record looked set to continue nine minutes in after Connor Scully’s fine footwork down the right teed up a cross to the back post that Beagrie (left) was well-placed to head home.

Failure to wrap up the title last week after a first league defeat at home looked to be weighing on Formartine’s minds as they failed to muster any sort of pressure until the final stages of the first half.

However, their challenge was killed off on the hour after Scully raced off on a mazy run from deep in his own half.

Playing a one-two with Jamie Lennox, he burst through into the box before being brought down by Stephen Jeffrey, who was immediately dismissed. Despite Stott’s spot-kick being saved, the same player nicked in to net the rebound.